While Emmaus and Parkland have both put together strong seasons in field hockey, the programs have come from very different places to get to where they are right now.

Emmaus has been constant under veteran head coach Sue Butz-Stavin, who is the winningest high school field hockey coach in the country. The Hornets have won 30 straight District 11 championships and look to make it 31 after going through the regular season undefeated.

After an undefeated regular season, Butz-Stavin holds a career mark of 963-81-35 with Emmaus. In addition to their success in districts, the Hornets have won 12 state championships in the 43 seasons that Butz-Stavin has been there. They are seeking their 13th in her 44th season this year.

For Parkland, head coach Lizzie Millen is the 13th coach in the last 44 years for the program. She is on her way to becoming one of the more successful coaches in Parkland history. Millen’s 56 wins currently has her tied for fourth all-time among Parkland field hockey coaches with Martin Romeril behind Millie Birosik-Nemeth (107 wins), Anne Wenninger (76 wins) and Donna Hibshman (74 wins).

The program has shown constant progress under Millen, who relates well to her players and has helped to instill confidence in them leading to a little swagger behind the program.

“We’ve had great kids who are very coachable,” said Millen, who is in her fifth season as the team’s coach. “That’s what it all comes down to. When you get kids excited about playing and give them the tools they need for success, it all comes together, but it takes time.”

The age gap between Butz-Stavin and Millen is obvious, but yet both have a way of reaching their players that has led to success.

“I think I can relate better on one level because I’m closer to the age of my players, but she just commands so much respect from all that she has accomplished that her players have to buy into that,” said Millen. “If you play for Sue Butz-Stavin and you put in the work she demands, you’re going to be a good field hockey player and you’re going to have success.”

While Butz-Stavin commands respect for her accomplishments over a long range of years, she has had a good seat to see the development of Parkland’s program under Millen.

“She does a good job getting her players ready,” said Butz-Stavin of Millen. “They’ve been getting better and better every year and I don’t think it’s any sort of fluke that they’ve had such a good season.”

Tuesday night’s showdown between the two teams, who both came into the game undefeated, went decidedly to Emmaus in a 6-0 win for the Hornets. It won’t be surprising for the two teams to meet again in conference and/or district play in the postseason.

Parkland hasn’t won a conference championship since 2003 and hasn’t won a district title since 1973 when the Trojans won their second straight under Birosik-Nemeth.

“You never know,” said Millen about her team’s chances this season. “We have a great group of girls and we have nothing to hang our heads about. We came in against Emmaus thinking we could win and that’s how we’re going to come into every game. The attitude of this team is definitely an asset.”